Michaelmas Fayre's popularity grows and grows

Malcolm Dent, from Gosport Rotary Club, is looking forward to Alverstoke's Michaelmas Fayre
Chinese dragon at the 2015 Michaelmas Fair in Alverstoke, GosportChinese dragon at the 2015 Michaelmas Fair in Alverstoke, Gosport
Chinese dragon at the 2015 Michaelmas Fair in Alverstoke, Gosport

THERE is only one day until the highlight of the Alverstoke calendar, the Rotary Michaelmas Fayre.

Open from 10am until 4pm tomorrow, with free entry, this annual event attracts thousands of people from around the area.

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There will be more than 100 stalls spread around the village and entertainment from HMS Sultan Marching Band and Corps of Drums, Morris Dancers, Chinese dragon dancer, magicians and singers.

As well as musical events in St Mary’s Church and Parish Centre, there is so much more happening.

This is our 27th year running the event, and charities with their stalls raise thousands of pounds every year in this community event. Our Rotary Club volunteers man the bottle stall, where a prize is guaranteed every time – from a bottle of water to a bottle of Champagne.

From a personal viewpoint, in the 20 odd years that I have been associated with the fayre, I have seen it grow and grow, until there is now no more room left for expansion. So popular is the venue with public and stallholders alike, that there is a waiting list of people wanting to show their wares.

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What I like is that we give priority to charities, so that they have the opportunity to fundraise – from youth organisations such as the Beavers, to fellow fundraisers such as the Lions, who this year will have their ever-popular plate smashing stall on the green.

Add to this mix the funfair and bouncy castles, and it is easy to see why the fayre is so popular.

This really has the feel of bygone eras where villages got together to celebrate, in our case, Michaelmas, which heralds the beginnings of autumn.